Newsletter September 2015

What are the Feys doing in South Africa, you might ask, and why are we as a church supporting them?  I am hoping I can give you a quick glimpse into our life and ministry, especially as this month marks a big change as we wrapped up almost 3 years of living and working at Tshepo ya Bana place of safety and have moved into full time work with Take Action Ministry.

Our work with Take Action involves many facets. Darin will primarily be working as the manager of our Distribution Centre, where we store and distribute food, clothes and other items, as well as hold meetings with community leaders. Take Action currently employs two local women to sort and organize things at the DC and one man who helps Darin with the driving and collecting of donated goods. Darin will also be working with finances, such as incoming donations and payment requisitions for the various projects we are involved in. I, Jonna, will be working as the communications coordinator; handling the Take Action Facebook page and other social media outlets, communicating with donors, and keeping various parties informed about what is happening via Take Action. I will also be keeping in contact with the centers and leaders who currently are a part of our programs and will be making first contact with new centers that apply for assistance through us.

Take Action Ministry has really been growing over the past ½ year. We are working on job creation initiatives including crafts, wood working using old pallets, and a recycling program. A new partnership we also are developing is with a security company who is donating their used pants, boots and jackets for our centres to either sell or give away.  So far we have received more than 4,000 pairs of gently used pants!  We are also hoping to expand our feeding program soon, to include food parcels for the most vulnerable children and families. We are excited to be connected with Help One Now on the US side, who are currently assisting us with the fundraising of big building projects at two of our larger centers. It is amazing to see how God brings us into contact with people from all around the world who have a heart for those who are so vulnerable.

Please pray for our family during this time of transition. We are so thankful for the support that our Evergreen family is giving us. We are moving to a new house on October 1 and will be taking on rental and utility costs, something we haven’t had to worry about in almost 3 years as our housing expenses were covered during our time at Tshepo ya Bana. Last week our car suddenly stopped running and now, about $500 later it is hopefully problem free! We were blessed by the donation of a second vehicle, which has become a necessity as we are often heading off in different directions, or one of us needs to pick up kids from school while the other one of us is busy at a meeting. While working at Tshepo ya Bana, we had the use of an extra vehicle when needed, but now are on our own. Having a much needed second vehicle also means extra costs, such as insurance and registration. It is a blessing for us to know that we do not have to worry about these expenses as God has provided for us through you! Pray that we will continue to trust in His timing and provision for all of our needs.

We also covet your prayers for our children, Tyson (11) and Jori (9). Most days they love living in South Africa and enjoy being a part of the work we do here.  But like all children, they worry about being different and not fitting in, something that is a part of their daily reality as the only white and American children at their school. We are facing some additional stress with Tyson, who is struggling with some behavioral/anxiety related issues. We have been working hard, trying to find the right people to help our boy, but all of this takes time and money. Our family is also caring for a 4 year old girl, Amogelang, who has cerebral palsy and other health issues. We consider her and her family to be our family. When they struggle, we feel their pain. When Amo is sick, we worry as if she was our own child. Your financial and prayer support carries us through difficult times with our children, both the ones we gave birth to and the child of our hearts.

There is a lot going on here in our part of the world, but we know that God is big enough for all of it. He gives us the strength to get through each day, the wisdom to deal with each new situation, and He continues to open our hearts and eyes to the needs around us. Thank you for partnering with us as we do His work! We would love to keep in touch with you either via email thefeyfamily@gmail.com or our blog http://thefeyfamily.blogspot.com and please check out Take Action’s Facebook page to see what is happening, https://www.facebook.com/TakeActionMinistry.